What Happened In Ekiti Cannot Happen In Lagos, Osun—Lawmaker

The gubernatorial election that took in Ekiti State on June 21, 2014, shocked many political observers because the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kayode Fayemi, was defeated by the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Ayo Fayose, who once ruled the state.

On August 9, 2014, it would be the turn of the people of Osun State to elect their governor and there have been talks that what happened in Ekiti could also occur in Osun.

A close associate of the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, Prince Bisi Yusuf, said the Ekiti ‘miracle’ can never happen in Lagos and Osun States.

Yusuf, a lawmaker in the Lagos State House of Assembly, has been a friend of Aregbesola for over 30 years and he’s very confident that he (Aregbesola) will win at the polls ahead of the PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

Yusuf, also the Chairman, Committee on Transport, Commerce and Industry of the Lagos Assembly, at an interactive section with journalists covering the Assembly at their weekly programme tagged; “Time Out With The Press,” described Aregbesola as an “uncommon man.”

“What happened in Ekiti State is about stomach infrastructure, which cannot happen in Lagos State. Our people are exposed, they are more educated, so, that cannot happen in the state,” the former Chairman of Ayobo/Ipaja LCDA disclosed.

Furthermore, the legislator representing Alimosho Constituency 1 in the House, said, “Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is an uncommon Governor, when you have an original, you would have the fake. What happened in Ekiti can never and would never happen in Osun State.”

He also said, ”Today, a silent revolution is going on in Osun State, where the students eat two free meals per day; in the morning and in the afternoon, not just ordinary foods. The whole world is praising this man for what he has done.

‘The man from another party is eating corns on the streets, when did he become a grassroots man, Governor Rauf Aregbesola was tested and trusted, he was the Commissioner for Works in Lagos State and he did many roads, go to Osun State and see what he is doing there such as, O-Meal, O-Environment, and others.

“All these are going on simultaneously, the first Governor in terms of mass development is Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and don’t forget that Ekiti is homogenous, they speak the same language, but this is not so in Osun State. Ijesha is different from Osogbo, Iwo and others. The only state where President Goodluck Jonathan did not have up to 10% votes in the Presidential Election of 2011 is Osun State and the margin is still there.

“You can all see what is going on there, let them continue to dream, but their dream would never become a reality. I can tell you, it would not happen in Osun State, they manipulated what they could manipulate in Ekiti State, but they cannot do that in Osun State.”

Speaking on his personal achievements, Yusuf revealed that, “On education, I have done much, I give GCE and JAMB forms to the people, I organize coaching classes for students. I value education a lot and I have a fantastic library in my constituency office, I have over 10,000 books there.

“Most of these people you call touts take to excessive habits because they don’t have anything to rely on. Imagine a conductor that runs up and down everyday, he can be a marathon athlete. I organize sporting events for them and many people participate in it.

“I distributed more than 5,000 glasses to the people and I don’t discriminate when I do it. I attracted a lot of infrastructure to the place like the Ayobo-Ipaja Road construction, construction of Meiran Phase 1 and 2, Aboru Canal, we know what it was in the past, the canal used to sweep about five people away whenever rain fell, but that has changed now.

“I am also involved in dispute resolution. What happened in Ekiti State cannot happen in Lagos State and the determinant of Lagos State fortune is Alimosho, we will always do the best for the people.”